This invention relates to packaging of primary articles such as cans or bottles in cartons and is more particularly concerned with feeding the cartons in collapsed condition from a hopper and for transferring the cartons to an in-feed end of a packaging machine.
UK Patent GB 2 053 133 to Bosch concerns an apparatus for removing, folding box blanks from a stationary magazine and erecting and transferring the blanks. It comprises transfer suction members which are mounted on four point linkages and arranged on a rotary carrier controlled by cams. During rotation, to facilitate the removal of the blanks a stationary condition of the suction members occurs. During the transfer of the erected blanks to the transport device, the suction members are moved synchronously with the transport device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,575 to Le Bras concerns a cam assembly for a feeder mechanism in which the cam plate is formed for a continuous cam track and a shallower cam track. Cam track follower arms are used for relative movement within first and second cam tracks. Pick up means is connected to the cam arm by an eccentric arm and the cam tracks because the pick up means to move to an outwardly extended position and to an inwardly retracted position.
German patent DE 3 525 448 to I.M.A. concerns an apparatus for feeding and erecting collapsed cartons from a hopper mounted at an angle from the vertical. The apparatus comprises a rotatable frame to which vacuum cups are attached via a linkage. As the frame rotates, the suctions cups retract so as to remove the collapsed cartons from the hopper and then to simultaneously transfer the collapsed cartons whilst separating the walls thereof. The retractable linkage is complex and, therefore, expensive to manufacture and maintain.
In WO 98/52825, there is shown a rotary feeder mechanism to supply blanks from an inclined hopper.
The prior art highlighted above refers to carton pick up means that rotates continuously, to cause the cartons to be withdrawn and accelerated to match the machine throughput speed. One problem associated with the transfer of cartons is that by combining the withdrawal and acceleration functions limits the machine speeds because a carton withdrawn by a rotary feeder is restricted by the rotary action.
The present invention and its preferred embodiment seeks to overcome or at least mitigate the problems associated with the prior art.